Episode 2

China - the superpower the world fears, but which few really know. Ken Hom, the godfather of Chinese cuisine, and Ching-He Huang, leading chef of the contemporary generation, together undertake an epic 3,000-mile culinary adventure across China - not only to reveal its food but also its people, history, culture and soul.

Ken and Ching explore the effects of sweeping modernisation in China's fastest growing city, Chengdu. It is the capital of Sichuan province, where the locals cling on to their identity through food. Here, in one of the culinary capitals of the country, they explore the complex and almost addictive spices that set Sichuan food apart and make it the most memorable of all Chinese cuisines. In a desire to get under the skin of the city, they explore the back streets in search of the most authentic dishes and traditional snacks. They also visit homes and restaurants to banish the gloomy Sichuan climate with some hot and fiery cooking.